Derrick Raoul Edouard Alfred De Marney (21 September 1906 – 18 February 1978) was an English stage and film actor and producer, of French and Irish ancestry.

Actor

The son of Violet Eileen Concanen and Arthur De Marney, and the grandson of noted

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

lithographer Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German ...

Alfred Concanen, he appeared on the London stage from 1922 and films from 1928. It was his performance in the lead role of the play ''Young Mr Disraeli'' at the Kingsway and

Piccadilly Piccadilly () is a road in the City of Westminster, London, England, to the south of Mayfair, between Hyde Park Corner in the west and Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is part of the A4 road (England), A4 road that connects central London to ...

theatres that brought him the offer of a long term film contract from

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)

. He is perhaps best remembered for his starring role as Robert Tisdall, falsely accused of murder in

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

's ''

Young and Innocent ''Young and Innocent'', released in the US as ''The Girl Was Young'', is a 1937 British Crime film, crime thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Nova Pilbeam and Derrick De Marney. Based on the 1936 novel ''A Shilling for Candl ...

'' (1937). Other early film roles include

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a ...

, this time in ''

Victoria the Great ''Victoria the Great'' is a 1937 British historical film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Anna Neagle, Anton Walbrook and Walter Rilla. When Laurence Housman's play '' Victoria Regina'' was banned by the Lord Chamberlain (in 1935 the r ...

'' (1937) and its sequel, ''

Sixty Glorious Years ''Sixty Glorious Years'' is a 1938 British colour film directed by Herbert Wilcox. The film is a sequel to the 1937 film '' Victoria the Great''. The film is also known as ''Queen of Destiny'' in the US. Cast *Anna Neagle as Queen Victoria * ...

'' (1938). After ''Young and Innocent'', he alternated between leading roles and supporting parts in films. He was cast in the title role of ''

Uncle Silas ''Uncle Silas'', subtitled "A Tale of Bartram Haugh", is an 1864 Victorian Gothic mystery- thriller novel by the Irish writer J. Sheridan Le Fanu. Despite Le Fanu resisting its classification as such, the novel has also been hailed as a wo ...

'' (1947); a character part in which he played a man formerly suspected of murder who plots against his young niece, an heiress played by

Jean Simmons Jean Merilyn Simmons (31 January 1929 – 22 January 2010) was a British actress and singer. One of J. Arthur Rank's "well-spoken young starlets", she appeared predominantly in films, beginning with those made in Britain during and after the ...

. After a couple of more leads in self-produced films, he tended to concentrate on the theatre, only taking small roles in film and television thereafter. His last role was in the horror film ''

The Projected Man ''The Projected Man'' is a 1966 British science fiction film directed by Ian Curteis, written by Peter Bryan, John C. Cooper, and Frank Quattrocchi, and starring Bryant Haliday, Mary Peach, Norman Wooland, Ronald Allen, and Derek Farr. It ...

'' (1966). Although he had a home in

Kensington Kensington is an area of London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around west of Central London. The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up by Kensingt ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, De Marney was taken ill while staying with friends at

Farnham Farnham is a market town and civil parish in Surrey, England, around southwest of London. It is in the Borough of Waverley, close to the county border with Hampshire. The town is on the north branch of the River Wey, a tributary of the ...

Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

. He died of

bronchopneumonia Bronchopneumonia is a subtype of pneumonia. It is the acute inflammation of the Bronchus, bronchi, accompanied by inflamed patches in the nearby lobules of the lungs. citing: Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition, Copyright 2014 ...

and

asthma Asthma is a common long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wh ...

at the nearby

Frimley Park Hospital Frimley Park Hospital is a large general hospital in Frimley, Surrey. It is managed by Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, and houses a private wing. History Frimley Park Hospital was opened to provide a full range of acute services to pati ...

on 18 February 1978. He was buried in the family plot at

West Norwood Cemetery West Norwood Cemetery is a rural cemetery in West Norwood in London, England. It was also known as the South Metropolitan Cemetery. One of the first private landscaped cemeteries in London, it is one of the " Magnificent Seven" cemeteries of ...

in south London.

Producer and director

With his brother, the actor

Terence De Marney Terence Arthur De Marney (1 March 190825 May 1971) was a British film, stage, radio and television actor, as well as theatre director and writer. Career Actor The son of Violet Eileen Concanen and Arthur De Marney, and the grandson of no ...

, he formed Concanen Productions and produced a number of wartime documentaries on the

Polish Air Force The Polish Air Force () is the aerial warfare Military branch, branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 26,000 military personnel an ...

, including ''The White Eagle'' and ''Diary of a Polish Airman'' (both 1942), as well as

Leslie Howard Leslie Howard Steiner (3 April 18931 June 1943) was an English actor, director, producer and writer.Obituary, '' Variety'', 9 June 1943. He wrote many stories and articles for ''The New York Times'', ''The New Yorker'', and '' Vanity Fair'' an ...

's film ''

The Gentle Sex ''The Gentle Sex'' is a 1943 British black-and-white romantic comedy-drama war film, directed by Leslie Howard and Maurice Elvey and narrated by Howard. It was written by Moie Charles and produced by Concanen Productions, Two Cities Films, and ...

'' (1943). He also produced and starred in the thrillers ''

Latin Quarter The Latin Quarter of Paris (, ) is an urban university campus in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne. Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistros, t ...

'' (1945), ''

She Shall Have Murder ''She Shall Have Murder'' is a 1950 British drama film directed by Daniel Birt and starring Rosamund John, Derrick De Marney and Felix Aylmer. It was written by Allan MacKinnon based on the 1949 novel of the same title by Delano Ames. The scr ...

'' (1950), and '' Meet Mr. Callaghan'' (1954), a role he had created on stage. He also produced and wrote '' No Way Back'' (1949), which starred his brother Terence. He directed the documentary shorts ''Malta G.C.'' and ''

London Scrapbook ''London Scrapbook'' is a 1942 British propaganda film directed by Derrick De Marney and Eugene Cekalski. It shows the physical devastation that the Blitz caused to London, and humorously communicates the postwar struggles of Londoners to Americ ...

'' in 1942.

Partial filmography

:''As actor, unless otherwise noted.'' * ''

Two Little Drummer Boys ''Two Little Drummer Boys'' is a 1928 British silent comedy film directed by G. B. Samuelson and starring Georgie Wood, Derrick De Marney and Alma Taylor. The film was based on the 1899 play ''Two Little Drummer Boys'' by Walter Howard and was ...

'' (1928) - Jack Carsdale * '' The Valley of Ghosts'' (1928) - Arthur Wilmot * '' The Forger'' (1928) - Basil Hale * ''

Adventurous Youth ''Adventurous Youth'' is a 1928 British silent Western film directed by Edward Godal and starring Derrick De Marney, Renee Clama and Dino Galvani. It depicts an Englishman (Derrick de Marney) who is voluntarily caught up in the Mexican Revolut ...

'' (1928) - The Englishman * ''

Stranglehold A chokehold, choke, stranglehold or, in Judo, shime-waza () is a general term for a grappling hold that critically reduces or prevents either air (choking)''The New Oxford Dictionary of English'' (1999). Oxford University press. . or blood (str ...

'' (1931) - Phillip * ''

Shadows A shadow is a dark area on a surface where light from a light source is blocked by an object. In contrast, shade occupies the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross-section of a shadow is a two-dimensiona ...

'' (1931) - Peter * ''

Money for Nothing "Money for Nothing" is a song by the British rock band Dire Straits, the second track on their fifth studio album '' Brothers in Arms'' (1985). It was released as the album's second single on 28 June 1985 through Vertigo Records. The song's lyr ...

'' (1932) - Minor Role (uncredited) * '' The Laughter of Fools'' (1933) - Captain Vidal * ''

Music Hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was most popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850, through the World War I, Great War. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as Varie ...

'' (1934) - Jim * ''

The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with her husband Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in Lo ...

'' (1934) - Member of the League (uncredited) * ''

Immortal Gentleman ''Immortal Gentleman'' is a 1935 British historical drama film directed by Widgey R. Newman and starring Basil Gill, Rosalinde Fuller and Dennis Hoey.Wood p.82 It was a low-budget B film, which usually did not have historical settings. Synopsis ...

'' (1935) - James Carter / Tybalt * '' Windfall'' (1935) - Tom Spooner * ''

Once in a New Moon ''Once in a New Moon'' is a 1935 British science fiction film directed by Anthony Kimmins and starring Eliot Makeham, René Ray and Morton Selten. It is a quota quickie, made at Shepperton Studios. It was written by Kimmins based on the 1929 nove ...

'' (1935) - Hon. Bryan-Grant * ''

Things to Come ''Things to Come'' is a 1936 British science fiction film produced by Alexander Korda, directed by William Cameron Menzies, and written by H. G. Wells. It is a loose adaptation of Wells' book '' The Shape of Things to Come''. The film stars Ra ...

'' (1936) - Richard Gordon * '' Cafe Mascot'' (1936) - Jerry Wilson * ''

Land Without Music ''Land Without Music'' is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Richard Tauber, Diana Napier and Jimmy Durante. It was made at Denham Studios. The film was one of a number of operetta films made in Britain during the d ...

'' (1936) - Rudolpho Strozzi * ''

Conquest of the Air ''Conquest of the Air'' is a 1936 documentary film or docudrama on the history of aviation up to that time. The film features historical footage, and dramatic re-creations, of the developments of commercial and military aviation; including the e ...

'' (1936) - Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

The Pearls of the Crown ''The Pearls of the Crown'' () is a 1937 French comedy film of historically based fiction by Sacha Guitry who plays four roles in it (many of the other performers play multiple roles, as well). Guitry's Jean Martin investigates the history of s ...

'' (1937) - Darnley (uncredited) * ''

'' (1937) - Younger Disraeli * ''

'' (1937) - Robert Tisdall * '' Blond Cheat'' (1938) - Michael Ashburn * ''

'' (1938) - Benjamin Disraeli * ''

Flying Fifty-Five ''Flying Fifty-Five'' is a 1939 British sports-drama film directed by Reginald Denham and starring Derrick De Marney, Nancy Burne, Marius Goring, John Warwick and Peter Gawthorne. It was made by Admiral Films at Welwyn Studios. The film is base ...

'' (1939) - Bill Urquhart * ''

The Lion Has Wings ''The Lion Has Wings'' is a 1939 British, black-and-white, documentary-style, propaganda film, propaganda war film that was directed by Adrian Brunel, Brian Desmond Hurst, Alexander Korda and Michael Powell. The film was produced by London Film ...

'' (1939) - Bill - Navigator * '' The Second Mr. Bush'' (1940) - Tony * ''

The Spider The Spider is an American pulp-magazine hero of the 1930s and 1940s. The character was created by publisher Harry Steeger and written by a variety of authors for 118 monthly issues of '' The Spider'' from 1933 to 1943. ''The Spider'' sold well ...

'' (1940) - Gilbert Silver * ''

Three Silent Men ''Three Silent Men'' is a 1940 British second feature ('B') crime film directed by Thomas Bentley and starring Sebastian Shaw, Derrick De Marney, Patricia Roc and Arthur Hambling. It was written by Jack Byrd and Dudley Leslie. The screenplay ...

'' (1940) - Captain John Mellish * ''

Dangerous Moonlight ''Dangerous Moonlight'' (U.S. title: ''Suicide Squadron'') is a 1941 British film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Anton Walbrook. The film is perhaps best known for its score, written by Richard Addinsell and orchestrated by Ro ...

'' (1941) - Mike Carroll * ''

The First of the Few ''The First of the Few'' (US title ''Spitfire'') is a 1942 British black-and-white biographical film produced and directed by Leslie Howard (actor), Leslie Howard, who stars as R. J. Mitchell, the designer of the Supermarine Spitfire fighter air ...

'' (1942) - Squadron Leader Jefferson * ''

'' (1942, director) * ''

'' (1943, producer) * ''

'' (1945, also producer) - Charles Garrie * ''

'' (1947) - Uncle Silas * ''

Sleeping Car to Trieste ''Sleeping Car to Trieste'' is a 1948 British comedy thriller film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Jean Kent, Albert Lieven, Derrick De Marney and Rona Anderson. It was written by Allan MacKinnon and is a remake of the 1932 fil ...

'' (1948) - George Grant * '' No Way Back'' (1949, producer and screenwriter) * ''

'' (1950, also producer) - Dagobert Brown * '' Meet Mr. Callaghan'' (1954, also producer) -

Slim Callaghan Slim Callaghan is a fictional London-based private detective created by the writer Peter Cheyney. Like another of Cheyney's characters, the FBI agent Lemmy Caution, he was constructed as a British response to the more hardboiled detectives of Ameri ...

* ''

Private's Progress ''Private's Progress'' is a 1956 British comedy film directed by John Boulting and starring Richard Attenborough, Dennis Price, Terry-Thomas and Ian Carmichael. The script was by John Boulting and Frank Harvey, based on the novel of the same ...

'' (1956) - Pat * '' The March Hare'' (1956) - Capt. Marlow * ''

Doomsday at Eleven ''Doomsday at Eleven'' (also known as ''Doomsday at 11'') is a 1962 British film directed by Theodore Zichy and starring Carl Jaffe, Alan Haywood and Stanley Morgan. The screenplay was by Paul Tabori. The film was produced by Jack Parsons. P ...

'' (1963) - Judge Alderbrook * ''

'' (1966) - Latham (final film role)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:De Marney, Derrick 1906 births 1978 deaths English male film actors English male stage actors Burials at West Norwood Cemetery 20th-century English male actors Actors from the London Borough of Hounslow People from Brentford